Mirror Image
by Nova-chan
Summary: Eric has a lot in common with his new girlfriend.....is it morally reprehensible to be in love with someone who could be your twin? Plus, Corey tries to find out who gave Topanga and Shawn food poisoning.
1. Prologue

Mirror Image

NoV: This is my first BMW fic. But, it's what—my 74th fic altogether?

Bisho: Gloat, gloat, gloat. Is that all you ever do?

NoV: I should definitely do something special for my 75th fic….maybe an all-out blow-out of everything I've ever written about!! ….but we'll talk about that later. On with the story!!!!

**Takes place around the third season, when everyone is still in high school**

(NoV: This only works because Eric's hair is so girly. )

Topanga and Corey were spending their Friday evening "in." Basically, this consisted of sitting on the Matthews' couch, eating popcorn and watching a rerun of Topanga's favorite soap opera, _Days of Our Wives._ Corey's parents, Amy and Alan were snuggled together on the other side of the couch, doing what Amy called "supervising," and what Alan affectionately referred to as "suffering through the decay of daytime television."

"I finally understand why they call it a 'soap opera'," Corey was saying. "Every time you see a girl, she's either in the bath, or getting out of the bath. Either way she's all wet and covered in soap……now, as far as the opera part…..I'm completely stumped."

Interrupting any remarks Mr. Matthews had been about to make, Eric came rushing through the front door, out of breath, but with a huge smile on his face. "Guys, I want you all to meet my soul mate!" he exclaimed, leaning over the couch. "As soon as I met her, I knew that what we had was special. We think alike, we act alike, we even look a little alike!"

"Who is it? Bozo the clown?" Corey wondered.

"Hey, don't mock what I once had with that clown…..it's not my fault that he turned out to be….well, a him," Eric said, defensively. "Besides, I was ten at the time."

"Never mind your brother, Eric," Amy said, ruffling Corey's hair. "He's had to weather five hours of soap operas and talks shows. Now, what about your new girlfriend?"

"No, no," Eric shook his head, "she's not my girlfriend; she's my significant other."

"So, does that make you her _in_significant other?" Corey asked, innocently.

Ignoring Corey, Eric gestured toward the still-open front door, and shouted, "I'd like you all to meet my new soul mate, Erica!"

"Erica?" Alan whispered to Amy, raising an eyebrow.

Eric faltered for a moment when no one came through the door. A little more loudly, he said, "MY NEW SOUL MATE, ERICA!!"

"Oh, right!" a voice said from just outside the house. Erica bounced into the living room, and paused beside Eric. "Ta-da!" they exclaimed in unison.

The two couples sitting on the couch were dumfounded at the sight of Erica. She and Eric seemed to have a lot more in common than Eric had managed to mention. Erica stood at Eric's same height, their light brown hair cut in the same fashion. They wore identical gray sweaters with red stripes, although Eric's was larger, and Erica's had a more effeminate neck. Even their blue jeans and tennis shoes appeared to be the same style and color.

The first person who found their voice was Amy, who politely said, "It's nice to meet you, Erica." She elbowed her husband in the ribs.

Alan sat up straight at this sharp pain, and grunted out, "Yeah, it's a real pleasure."

Corey and Topanga flashed a frightened smile at the "twins."

"Well, Mom, Dad, kids," Eric said, putting an arm around Erica's shoulder, and turning her toward the door, "hate to leave before you can all get acquainted, but I have made dinner reservations for myself and my lovely date. You'll all have a chance to get to know each other very soon, I'm sure." He and Erica walked out the door, closing it behind them.

"This is the start of a very, very awkward relationship," Corey commented.

NoV: Oh-kay, so that was the very short prologue. If people like it, then I will make a nice, happy, lengthy chapter one. Happy New Year's!!!


	2. Chapter One

Mirror Image

NoV: I got two shiny new reviews for the prologue! You know what that means!

Bisho: Cocktail weenies for everyone!!!

NoV: What?? No. It means that I'm starting on chapter one. 0.o

Bisho: …..oh.

NoV: Anyway, on with the story!

(BMW)

It was the Monday morning after Eric had introduced Erica to the family. Eric, Corey, and Topanga sat in their Creative Writing class, the one class that they had ever taken together. It was being reluctantly taught by Mr. Turner, who had been forced into it by the school board when the minimum number of students had signed up to take an extra writing course. Normally, Shawn took the class as well, but he was shockingly absent this day.

"Corey, where is Shawn?" Topanga wondered when the late bell rang.

"I don't know," Corey admitted. "Hey, Mr. Turner!"

The young teacher looked up from a stack of papers lying on his desk. "Yes, Matthews?"

"Is Shawn sick or something?" Corey asked. "I mean, I know it isn't a rare occurrence for him to be missing, but I figured I'd ask."

"Actually, Shawn's got food poisoning," Mr. Turner explained. "He threw up half a cheeseburger and a box of animal crackers. Can you get his math and history homework for him?"

"Sure," Corey replied, shocked that his friend was home sick and not skipping for once.

"Okay, let's start off by reading Journal #8," Mr. Turner said, getting out his grade book.

"When was that assigned?" an anonymous person demanded.

"Two weeks ago," Mr. Turner responded. "Any volunteers want to go first?"

"I'll go," Topanga offered, opening her notebook to a very worn page.

"Good, thank you Ms. Lawrence," Mr. Turner said, gratefully. "I believe the topic was 'A day that was especially fun for me,' right?"

"Right." Topanga cleared her throat. "A day that was especially fun for me was the day that Corey and I started going out. I will never forget how relieved I was that we were finally in a relationship the likes of which I had dreamed of for years. My first serious relationship with the opposite sex with a great guy I had known most of my life. Come what may, I will always look back on that day with joy and exhilaration."

A few students politely clapped. Mr. Turner said, "Nice job, Topanga. Corey, would you care to go next?"

"Uhh…..sure," Corey said, nervously. In all reality, Corey had written about the day that the Phillies had won a baseball game against their greatest rivals, against all odds…..but after Topanga's journal, he knew he had to think fast. Staring straight through his paper with baseball doodles all over it, he said, "Um, well…..A day that was especially fun for me was when I started dating Topanga…..she means the world to me, and we really are in love….a lot…..uh…..and in conclusion I'm sure that next year we'll be able to win the world series…..I mean—d'oh!!":

Topanga snatched Corey's journal from him and glanced over it. "Nice try, Corey," she said.

Mr. Turner shook his head, and wrote down a suitable grade. "Okay, who's next?"

"I'll go," Eric proposed. "A day that was especially fun for me was when I didn't have to come to school anymore and I wasn't a failure and disappointment to my parents and people didn't have to take drugs to have any feelings whatsoever and my car wasn't falling apart and Corey wiped that stupid grin off his face and my pants fit and I was talented and my Right Guard didn't expire before noon and lunch was hot and delicious and cigarettes didn't cause cancer and I could walk considerably fast without coughing up charred lung fragments and my friends didn't want to use me and my left shoe didn't have gum on it and the cast of _7th Heaven_ got food poisoning and died and I didn't hear anymore voices and this coffee stain came out of my shirt and my books weren't so heavy and there wasn't a hole in the ozone layer and I felt like shaving and I wasn't so sleepy and my cell phone didn't go on roaming in my back yard and all girls with red hair were pretty and my joints weren't so stiff and painful to move and my best friend didn't have social anxiety and Steven King still wrote good novels and my bathroom wasn't haunted and Subway wasn't so expensive and I wasn't so cheap and waves of euphoria washed over me as I did my homework and watching T.V. didn't make me want to scrub my eyes with paint thinner and my alarm clock wasn't so painfully loud and Corey Feldman was still cool and everything I ate didn't give me indigestion and I slept all through the night without being disturbed."

The class stared at him, dumbfounded.

"I wrote that before I started dating Erica," he explained. "She's my soul mate, you know."

"Oooooooooookay," Mr. Turner commented. "Next??"

(BMW)

NoV: I know, I know…..that was short too, but they'll get longer as I develop it. This was kind of just a chapter to get everyone in character for me. So, next chapter, Corey visits Shawn at home, and Erica gets better acquainted with Alan and Amy! Stay tuned, and happy new year!


	3. Chapter Two

Mirror Image

NoV: Okay, now we're getting down to business. BTW, that last chapter is dedicated to Jeremy from my creative writing class, who would be receiving royalties if I were actually making any money off of this story…..but, since that is not the case, on to chapter two!

(BMW)

Corey knocked on the door to the apartment that Mr. Turner graciously shared with Shawn. Mr. Turner came to the door, letting Corey in. Shawn was lying on the couch, covered up to his neck with a blanket, a throw-up pail close by for emergencies.

"Hey, Shawn, how ya feelin'?" Corey asked, setting Shawn's homework on the coffee table.

Shawn immediately covered his bulging mouth and leaned over the side of the couch.

"Not too good, I guess," Corey said, scooting back from his ill friend. "So, I brought your homework…..not that you're going to do any of it."

Shawn sat up on the couch. "Thanks."

"So, where do you think you got food poisoning from?" Corey wondered.

"No clue," Shawn replied, holding his head, "but I've never been this sick in my entire life…..ohhhhh….." He moaned and held his stomach, curling his legs up to his chest.

"Man, you sound terrible," Corey commented. "How long do you think you'll be out of commission?"

"The doctor said a week at the least, and three weeks at the most," Shawn answered, pulling his blanket up to his shoulder.

"Sorry to hear that…..well, I'll be bringing your homework here everyday…..and I'll visit on the weekends too," Corey informed him. "But…..right now, I've got to go spend some time with my girlfriend….."

"I understand," Shawn said, turning over on his side. "Go ahead."

"Okay, thanks. See you later," Corey said. He adjusted his backpack on his shoulders and left the apartment.

(BMW)

Meanwhile, Alan and Amy had the pleasure of eating dinner with Eric and Erica, who were both wearing their hair up in short ponytails. Erica gladly and quickly answered all questions that were thrown at her.

"So, Erica, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Alan asked her, doing a very good job of mashing his salad into nothingness.

Erica swallowed a carrot slice and nodded, saying, "Yes, I have a brother and a sister; Courtney and little Martin. I'm the oldest."

Amy shot Alan a look that said, "That's odd," then asked, "So, are you still in high school?"

Erica shook her head, "No. I graduated last year."

Alan breathed a sigh of relief. At least there were _some _differences. "Oh, okay. So, you and Eric aren't the same age?"

"Actually, we are," Erica said, giggling. "I in fact skipped kindergarten and went straight to first grade. They tell me I was advanced." She rolled her eyes and smiled at Eric.

"Yep, she's the smart one," Eric added, petting her on the head.

Alan and Amy looked at each other fearfully.

Finding his voice, Alan inquired, "Do you still live at home with your parents?"

"No," Erica responded. "Me and my roommate live in an apartment over near the community college."

"Oh, you go to college?" Amy asked.

"No, I have my modeling career to think of," Erica told her. "In between modeling jobs, I work as a cashier."

"Have you done many modeling jobs?" Alan wondered.

"Well, not so far, but my new agent says that it looks promising," she said. "I've only had one job, and that was last year. My first creepo agent claimed that he had gotten me a great modeling job, and I had to stand around the mall all day dressed like a giant crab!"

Somehow deciding not to think about all of the insanely numerous coincidences, Alan said, "Where are you a cashier?"

"At my dad's grocery store," Erica answered.

(BMW)

Corey entered the living room an hour later. Amy and Alan sat in silence on the couch, still worrying over the "twins" and their similarities.

"How's it going, Cor?" Alan asked.

"Horrible!" Corey replied, laying his backpack on the chair. "First, Shawn gets food poisoning and won't be back to school for weeks, and now Topanga's got it too! She might be out for a month!"

"That's strange….that they both have food poisoning…." Amy shook her head. "I refuse to think about anymore coincidences!!"

"Well, don't worry," Corey assured her, "because one way or another, I'm going to get to the bottom of this food poisoning thing before it can claim even more victims!!"

(BMW)

NoV: YAY! Chapter two! Next chapter, Corey searched for clues, and Erica has a problem! 0.o


	4. Chapter Three

Mirror Image 

BMW

NoV: Okay! Time for an update!!

BMW

Corey woke up before anyone else in the house. He sneaked downstairs and out the front door without anyone taking notice.

He was a man with a mission.

Corey went straight to Mr. Turner's apartment to try and gather clues about the "food poisoning epidemic."

He knocked on the splintering wooden door. Corey heard a few groans from the inside of the apartment, and then the sound of locks being undone. Shawn slowly opened the door, revealing his groggy, pale face.

"Ugh!" Corey exclaimed, making a barricade with his arms. "Shawn? You look even worse than you did yesterday!"

Shawn went back to his haven under the blanket on the couch. "Uhhhhhh….." he said.

"Shawn," Corey said, sitting on the coffee table with a notepad and pencil in hand, "I'd like to ask you a few questions about the past week, okay?"

"Uhhhhhh…..okay," Shawn replied, uncovering his head.

"How many times in the past week have you eaten in the school lunchroom?" Corey asked, jotting down scribbles that resembled words onto his notepad.

"Why are you asking me that?" Shawn wanted to know, arching an eyebrow.

Corey looked stumped, and then said, "Because I'm trying to narrow down the source of the food poisoning that you and Topanga have."

"Of course!" Shawn exclaimed. "The lunchroom! Bane of my existence!" He turned to Corey and said, "I eat there every day of every week. I thought you would have known that."

Corey finished with his notebook and closed it. "Thanks! That's all I needed. I'll be back as soon as I've solved this case." He stood up, striking a pose. "Fear not, Shawn! For, wherever two of my friends are stricken with food poisoning, you can be sure that I'll be there to solve the crime, because I'm Detective Boy!!"

Shawn snored.

"Uh, right," Corey said in a quieter voice. "See you late, Shawn," he whispered, exiting the apartment.

(BMW)

Eric walked Erica to her car, walking hand-in-hand with her. "I'm glad that you're getting to know my parents," he said. "I just hope that your mom and dad like me."

Erica smiled. "I know they will. See you tomorrow," she said, giving him a quick kiss, and climbing into the car. "Bye bye."

"Bye," Eric said, closing the car door for her. He waved as she pulled out of the driveway.

Amy and Alan were sitting on the couch, sharing a tub of ice cream, and watching an old black and white movie. Eric came inside, twirling around, and prancing by the couch.

"Eric?" Alan wondered. "Son, are you turning into a ballerina?" He turned to Amy, and jokingly said, "Honey, I thought this was why we had Morgan; so the boys wouldn't have to wear tutus and dance to the Sugar Plum Fairy."

Eric scoffed at his father. "Dad, you wouldn't know how I feel. You've never been in love!"

Amy narrowed her eyes.

"I mean—" Eric said quickly. "I just feel like the luckiest guy in the world…..I'm gonna ask Erica to marry me."

"Oh, of course," Alan replied. "And we will fully support that decision when you make it in ten years."

Eric's smile faded. "Dad, I love Erica…..the most I can wait is a week."

Amy quickly said, "Okay, movie's back on! This conversation will continue in a week!!"

Eric rolled his eyes and hopped up the stairs to "do his homework," which would probably consist of reading comic books, and lying on his back thinking about Erica.

(BMW)

Corey knocked softly on Topanga's bedroom door. "Come in," she said, trying to sound perky, but feeling like she needed to throw up again.

Corey tiptoed inside, giving his girlfriend a slight wave. "Hey, Topanga," he said. "How are you feeling?" He sat next to her bed in a folding chair.

"I've been worse," she replied.

"Well, be prepared," he cautioned her. "If you have the same thing Shawn has, you'll be worse tomorrow."

"Thanks, Corey. That's something to look forward to," Topanga said, sarcastically.

"Well, at least you still have your chipper attitude," Corey mentioned. "Anyway, I need to ask you a few questions." He pulled the pad and pencil out of his back pocket. "How many times did you eat in the school lunchroom last week?"

Topanga furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't eat cafeteria food," she told him. "I only eat all-natural vegetables and sushi wraps."

Corey sighed. "I should have known. He put away his notepad. "There goes my only lead." He turned toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Topanga asked.

"Back to Shawn's," Corey answered, depressed.

(BMW)

Late that night, after Corey had given up on trying to single out the restaurant that had distributed food poisoning to his best friends, after Eric had fallen asleep, thinking about Erica, after Amy and Alan had watched the classic movies channel for six hours straight, and after Morgan had had her good night kisses and bedtime stories, a dark figure sneaked in through Corey and Eric's bedroom window. The tousled and tired girl walked over first to Corey's bed, and peeked under the blanket at his face. Not finding the person she wanted to consult with, she turned to the next bed. She leaned over Eric, and recognizing him, sat next to him. She softly shook his shoulder, and whispered, "Eric?"

He merely groaned and rolled onto his stomach, mumbling something akin to "Five more minutes….."

She slid underneath the blanket next to him, and put her arm around him. "Eric……I need to talk….." Erica glanced at his eyes, sealed tightly shut. She sighed. "But, I guess it can wait until the morning….." She turned so that her back was facing him, and slid over as far as she could away from him. The last thing she wanted was for his parents to jump to conclusions if they saw her in bed with their son.

(BMW)

NoV: Oh, my! So many things are happening! Well, next chapter should be out soon! Happy days are yours and mine! (sings)


	5. Chapter Four

NoV: So sorry about the long wait! Love ya, guys!

(BMW)

Alan had been planning (originally) to open the store himself so Eric could sleep in and come in to work around noon. However, at the last minute, Morgan had called from her friend's house, saying that she was sick and needed to come home. And, with Amy taking Cory to baseball practice, Alan had no choice but wake up Eric and get him to open the store. (NoV: Sorry if that was the most confusing and illogical paragraph of your life! )

Alan quickly ascended the stairs and opened the door to Cory and Eric's bedroom. There was a surprisingly wide lump in Eric's bed with a mass of blond hair reaching out from the abyss on one side. Alan maneuvered around the batches of junk on the boys' floor and arrived at the side of Eric's blanket with the hair. He shook the lump attached to the hair, which groaned in response.

"Eric, come on!" Alan said, exasperated. "The store's gotta be open in fifteen minutes!"

The lump mumbled something unintelligible and shifted slightly.

Alan sighed and grabbed the edge of the blanket, and then swiftly tore it away from the bed.

Instead of just one blond teen Eric, there also lay a blond teen Erica, her legs bent and nuzzled against Eric's thigh. Her hand lay gently across his stomach.

Alan's temper hit the ceiling almost instantly. He all but jumped across the bed, grabbing Eric by the arm and dragging him up out of bed. "What is the matter with you?" Alan demanded.

Eric, thoroughly frightened by his rude awakening, brightly said, "Huh?"

"I can't believe that you would sneak a girl into this house and sleep with her!" Alan exclaimed, infuriated. He pulled Eric out into the hallway, leaving an overwhelmed Erica alone in the bedroom.

"Eric, I have to ask you honestly," Alan said, coercing Eric to back up against the wall. "Did you really think that you were going to get away with having a girl sleeping with you in a room that you share with your little brother?"

"What are you talking about?" Eric wondered, rubbing the side of his face that he had slept on.

"It's a little late to be playing dumb with me, Eric!" Alan shouted. "Now you have a lot of explaining to do, and I'd better not hear any ridiculous explanations this time!"

"Mr. Matthews, wait!" Erica exclaimed, exiting the bedroom at last. "Don't blame Eric for this….." she pleaded. "He had nothing to do with it."

"I'm listening," Alan said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, last night…." she began, "….my roommate went out of town, and I was scared to be alone in our apartment…..so I sneaked in and spent the night with Eric." She looked Alan in the eyes, and realizing that he wanted something more, quickly added, "If I had known that you wouldn't be okay with it, Mr. Matthews, I would have slept on the couch, I promise!"

Alan stared the "twins" down for a few more minutes before saying, "Eric, you need to open the store in ten minutes." He then turned and walked back downstairs to pick up Morgan.

Erica looked to Eric for some sense that he wasn't mad at her.

Eric pulled her into a hug and held onto her while assuring her: "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you. You should've woken me up."

Erica pulled back slightly. "Well, I tried, but you just looked so peaceful…"

"So, are you okay now?" Eric wondered.

She looked down at the floor, weighing the pros and cons of the situation. Finally, Erica decided not to make Eric worry over nothing. She said, "Yeah, I'm fine as long as I'm with you…."

Eric smiled and led her downstairs.

(BMW)

All throughout the day Erica couldn't shake her feeling that something horrible was going to happen. She also felt guilty for lying to Eric, but she did it for his sake, not hers…..right?


	6. Chapter Five

Mirror Image 

(BMW)

NoV: Hey minna-san! Here we are at chapter four, a moment in time for all of us, I'm sure.

Bisho: …..isn't every moment a moment in time?

NoV: -.-0 Go away, Bisho.

(BMW)

Corey, feeling as if he had failed his girlfriend, his best friend, and American food vendors everywhere, settled for a nice conversation with Topanga, if for nothing more than to make her feel better.

However, to his dismay, upon arrival at her house, he found a big, orange "QUARANTINED" sign on the front door.

He stared in oblivion for a moment, before saying to himself, "No way! I thought they only had these on TV!….oh, wait…..I guess this means that her parents are sick too….." He turned and faced the street. "Guess I'll go visit my best friend, Shawn, instead!"

Corey was relieved to find no such signs on John Turner's apartment door. He knocked eagerly, and waiting a few moments before hearing, "Uuuuhhhnnnn….." permeate through the door.

"Shawn?" Corey wondered. "You sound sick…..can I come in?"

"Yuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnhh……" was the response.

Corey tried the door, and entered upon finding it to be unlocked. He gazed over toward the couch, but saw only a tousled blanket lying there. Confused, he scanned the room for his friend. "Shawn?" he called. "Where are you?"

"I'm here……." a muted voice replied from the kitchen.

Corey followed the voice's trail, and discovered Shawn lying on the linoleum floor, his hands outstretched toward the refrigerator.

"Shawn! What are you doing? Are you okay?" Corey cried, torn between helping his friend off of the floor and catching the virus and spending a week in a likewise position.

"John went to pick me up some antacids, and I was thirsty…..so I tried to get a soda….but I didn't make it….." Shawn admitted, unable to lift his head from the cool floor.

Corey stood, staring over him, unsure of how to help.

Shawn raised an eyebrow at him. "Aren't you going to help me up?"

Corey made over-exaggerated hand gestures, while talking very quickly. "Well, I would, Shawnie, you know I would! I just don't wanna catch this horrible sickness that has you, my girlfriend, and my girlfriend's parents lying on couches all day long!"

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Corey, food poisoning isn't contagious."

"Of course it is," Corey insisted. "Topanga's parents caught it from her. They even had a big sign that said 'quarantined' on their front door, how cool is that?"

Shawn contemplated these thoughts. "As cool as that is, I know that it's impossible to catch food poisoning unless you ate contaminated food."

"Why do you know that?" Corey wanted to know.

"I've been on a couch all week," Shawn explained. "I had nothing more to do than watch TV. Health channel's my favorite."

Corey nodding, finally accepting this as truth. He considerately pulled Shawn to his feet and dragged him to the couch. Once he had his friend settled and blanketed, his thoughtfully brought him a soda with a bendy straw.

Shawn shut his eyes to rest. "I don't know what I'd do without you Cor…." he said.

Corey smiled. "You'd lie on the floor until Mr. Turner got back."

Shawn began to snore, tucked away in slumber.

"See you later, Shawn," Corey said, locking the door behind him as he left.

(BMW)

NoV: Well, there, I've done it! Last chapter was nothing but twins, and this one was nothing but friends! Next chapter shalleth beeth a comboeth!

Bisho: She's reading Macdeath.

NoV: You mean Macbeth….

Bisho: ….that's what I said….

NoV: -.-0 Til nexties!


End file.
